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A federal judge in New York has ruled that Fox, NBC, and CBS should be allowed to pursue their high-profile legal dispute over Dish Network's controversial ad-skipping device in California.

...The judge is dismissing without prejudice Dish's complaint as it pertains to Fox's copyright and contract claims as well as CBS/NBC's copyright claims. Dish's lawsuit against CBS and NBC over contract issues will continue in New York as those issues weren't asserted in California. Additionally, Dish's is being given the go-ahead to pursue declaratory action against ABC that it hasn't breached copyright or violated a contract. ABC was the only major network not to bring a lawsuit, though it has signaled that it intends to file counterclaims.

...Dish had the following statement about today's development:

“Regardless of the venue, we look forward to proceeding with this case,recognizing that it has been 28 years since the Supreme Court’s “Betamax” decision held that a viewer, in the privacy of their home, could record a television show to watch later. The Court ruled that ‘time-shifting’ constituted a fair use of copyrighted television programming. Those Betamax users could permissibly fast-forward through commercials on recorded shows – just as DVR users do today. DISH will stand behind consumers and their right to skip commercials, something they have been doing since the invention of the remote control.”

Edited by phrelin, 09 July 2012 - 04:41 PM.Added the THR quote

"In a hundred years there'll be a whole new set of people."
"Always poke the bears. They sleep too much for their own good."

There have been some recent software updates on the Hopper that should be noted.

As before, PTAT is not enabled when a new Hopper is installed.
When the user activates PTAT they choose the channels (one or all four) of the major network channels they want to record.
When the user activates PTAT they choose the days of the week (one or all seven) they wish to record programs.
When the user activates PTAT they choose how long to keep the programs ... choices range from 2 to 8 days.

It is more than just an on-off switch.

As for AutoHOP, I have noticed that the default is now "no". When playing back an AutoHOP enabled program the "use AutoHOP" was default ... now "no" is default.

Facing a legal showdown with the broadcast networks over commercial-skipping features in its digital video recorders, Dish Network has quietly made several operating-system tweaks designed to put the ad-circumvention process more in the hands of the user.

This could be crucial in the satellite's legal battle with broadcasters over these features, given that subscribers now have more control of how they're used.

Is it just me or has the autohop delay also increased. I find that my system plays most of the first commercial at each break and am now regularly hitting the forward skip to engage autohop. Not a huge deal but each time I am having to advance to the point where it autohops. Zero putton pushes have now become at least one button push for each commercial break.

Interesting article from one of the industry bibles today, TVNewscheck....

Jessell at LargeTake Your Cue From Moonves: Skip DishAll broadcasters should follow the lead of CBS's Leslie Moonves and threaten to use their retrans clout to come down hard on Dish Network and the Auto Hop commercial-skipping feature of its Hopper DVR. Allowing subscribers to skip all spots in recorded programs at the touch of a button is a broadcasting killer.

This is much ado about nothing. I rarely find myself with an opportunity to use autohop anyway. When I do the current additional delay that has been inserted by Dish almost always means an additional button press anyway.

The most Autohop has saved me is a few button presses on the rare occasion that I find a show that I actually care about on a channel that is supposed to be free but yet I have to pay a monthly fee for. The networks execs can stick their lawsuit where the sun does not shine!

I have noticed that Auto-Hop is becoming available earlier in the evening. I have Auto-Hopped programs recorded at 8pm or 9pm before 11pm. This places more value on the function ... and likely ticks off OTA broadcasters more.

I have noticed that Auto-Hop is becoming available earlier in the evening. I have Auto-Hopped programs recorded at 8pm or 9pm before 11pm. This places more value on the function ... and likely ticks off OTA broadcasters more.

Let them get ticked - if they weren't shoving nearly 1/3 of the programming time with ads, it wouldn't be an issue.IMO, anyway...

Let them get ticked - if they weren't shoving nearly 1/3 of the programming time with ads, it wouldn't be an issue.IMO, anyway...

Yep, and they keep pushing the envelope. What was 45 minutes (or more) of programming is now 42 minutes (or less), obnoxious and distracting lower third graphics, over the top product placement with obvious, inane scripting, and on and on. The auto-hop feature ought to be instantaneous and expanded to more channels. The networks started it, not Dish.

"A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven."

45 minutes? Heck, when I startd watching it was *51* minutes per hour (confirmed when I saw the running times of Star Trek episodes on VHS) and I distinctly remember there being a discussion from time to time of "how much is too much" with regards to commercials.

Bottom line, though... without those sold commercial spots, most of the TV shows people like wouldn't be produced... UNLESS we all paid $10-$15 per channel like for commercial-free networks like HBO...

Going back to the earliest days of TV, it was corporate sponsors that made broadcast TV possible.

Also, ESPN has done something kind of cool that I wish other networks and shows would try... If you watch Around the Horn or Pardon the Interruption... during their commercial breaks they throw in some behind the scenes clips and things that happen between takes... and if you skip commercials you miss those. I thought it was ingenious to throw in those things because I want to watch them, so I don't skip the commercials during those shows.

That explains what I saw during the RNC & DNC on FNC. When commercials were shown there was a PIP window with the live action at the podium. At the time I thought what's up with that? After reading this thread I now understand why that PIP window was used. (if someone else commented earlier I apologize - I skipped ahead 28 pages, this is the first day I paid attention to this thread).